A new national poll from NBC News is raising eyebrows after revealing that President Donald Trump holds a higher positive rating among voters than several of his most prominent political critics and media adversaries.
The survey, conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3, asked 1,000 registered voters across the country to rate a series of political figures and major issues. When the results came in, Trump outpaced a number of high-profile Democrats and media personalities who have frequently positioned themselves as his sharpest opponents.
According to the poll, Trump holds a 41 percent positive rating among respondents. That figure puts him ahead of CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, whose positive rating sits at 35 percent despite years of aggressively criticizing the former and current president on television.
Several prominent Democratic figures also trailed Trump in the survey.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has spent months positioning himself on the national stage amid speculation about a future presidential campaign, received a positive rating of just 27 percent. The result places him among the least popular figures included in the poll.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has also been widely discussed as a potential contender in future presidential races, registered a 34 percent positive rating among respondents.
LOL
Wild New Poll Finds That Trump Is More Popular Than Newsom and Kamala, ICE Is More Popular Than the Demshttps://t.co/7n50r6Ov1L
— PartiesWithTea (@PartiesWithTea) March 10, 2026
Should Donald Trump's popularity among voters be a concern for his critics?
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York came in with a 31 percent positive rating, putting her ten points behind Trump in the same survey.
The NBC poll also examined public attitudes toward several broader topics and institutions. Iran emerged as the least popular subject included in the survey, earning only an 8 percent positive rating among voters.
Artificial intelligence also ranked relatively low, with a 26 percent positive rating, reflecting growing uncertainty among Americans about the rapidly expanding technology and its long-term impact.
Newsom’s 27 percent positive rating placed him near the bottom of the list alongside those controversial or uncertain topics.
At the top of the popularity rankings was Pope Leo the Fourteenth, who recorded the highest positive rating among the 14 figures and subjects included in the survey. The pontiff received a 42 percent positive rating from respondents.
Vice President JD Vance and Immigration and Customs Enforcement tied for the second-highest positive ratings in the poll, each receiving 38 percent.
The survey also included likely voters from both major parties. Of the 1,000 registered voters polled, 368 indicated they would participate in Democratic primaries, while 319 said they would vote in Republican primaries.
